Decor Guide Directory

Updating your Décor

Use Colors Appropriately to Update your Décor

Color is one of the things that make life meaningful; you can find a reflection of each one of your moods, preferences and feeling in colors: they help you reflect your personality. But you do not have to be a top-notch interior decorator to make colors work for your home. Armed with a few tips, you

yourself can make a colorful difference to how your home looks, feels and appeals to you.

Neutral Shades vs. Rich Hues

Neutral palettes are of course the safest. A rustic, restful simplicity may be nice for a time: a Tuscan décor, for instance, but it can also get boring after a while. With the turn of the century, more and more people prefer their homes to be rejuvenating and fresh. Colors are in d

emand once again, and you should perhaps seriously consider getting some into your personal space this spring. Blue, red, purple, green, orange and yellow are the new favorites: when used with consideration and insight, they can give your home an entirely new image.

You need not redo all your white or cream painted walls in order to reach for color. You could bring in colors by painting a single wall in a room, and leaving the rest as they are, so updating your décor need not be either expensive or time-consuming. Neutral colored walls provide the right background for one wall in rich color, and allow for a room to be restful despite a touch of vigor. You could consider a few of the following color suggestions and possibilities for your home:

Romantic Purple

A single purple wall over your bedstead in a white bedroom with purple-accented furnishings and drapes can introduce a new note of passion and romance into your life. Avoid using purple in the study or kitchen however, because this color may lose some of its charm in these areas and not convey the focused atmosphere of a study or the welcoming warmth of a kitchen.

Tranquil Blue

A hallway or staircase which gets enough natural light could be your place for a rich Mediterranean blue. Cobalt or cerulean blues are good too. Avoid the darker shades like navy and Prussian which can make the space look dingy. Not only does blue look summery and bright with your cream or white walls, it is a great place to hang up family photographs with cream, black or silver frames. Hang up tribal masks, prints, pictures or paintings with a touch of turquoise, or add sheer turquoise curtains on the windows at the top of the stairs for an airy, beach-side look. You could also add accents of dull gold in terms of artifacts, or Italian pottery in Mediterranean colors. Blue does not do very well in living rooms, bedrooms or kitchens; it is best used in passages or hallways.

Sophisticated Red

Red walls look awesome with neutral furnishings. A cherry red wall in your living room would do very well to give a vibrant accent to the other pale cream or white walls. Use crimson or maroon reds only if you are very sure that is what you want. You can either go the cream lacy Victorian way with your sofas and cushions in the living room; add greenery for contrast and a touch of nature by introducing potted plants. Or, go sporty with solid blacks, creams and browns, even hot pinks. This would go very well with ultramodern Italian steel furniture. A few shiny silver knick-knacks or picture frames, or maybe Marino glass vases would add that extra dash of exotic color and translucence. The idea is not to have too much of red, use it only to underline your vibrant, postmodern personality. An orange and white scheme would have much the same effect, if you prefer a cheery and young feel instead of edgy sophistication.

Mellow Yellow

Yellow can be a great idea for a study, a guest room or a kitchen. Three walls painted a very pale creamy yellow, and the remaining one a honeyed, buttercup shade could brighten up a room which does not receive much natural light. Pale yellow and green vines or floral motifs on a wall paper can also be used to denote a sort of Tuscan air while still retaining an element of energy. For yellow walls it is safer to stick with white, pale yellow or cream furnishings, and maybe add touches of dull gold on paint frames and artifacts. Plants and flowers potted in stoneware would do well in this room as will wrought iron furniture. A white and bronze or copper Tuscan lamp can add to the serene yet lively feel of a sedate yellow room.

Soothing Green

Dark, moss, or pale green walls call for furnishings in white or cream. Also make sure you leave one or more walls in white or cream. Emerald greens are best avoided. Use browns, beiges, tans, blacks and traces of pale yellows and yellow-greens for furnishings to make the most out of a green living room. Dry decorations, or paintings with beige accents, and rust or black frames would work well. You can go for shiny rust-colored cushions, and possibly bring in a gray stone trickling water-fountain to complete a rich, soothing, oriental look.

Green may just become the newest “neutral” color. Used as a subtle backdrop to reflect an enhanced eco-consciousness, green will be representative of the growing environmental movement. Mid-tone hues of fern, palm, pine and sage will be used on their own or coupled with clear blue or aqua to create a living space that conjures up a sense of outdoor-friendly living. Sandy tans and warm browns can be intermingled to complete that earthy and eco-friendly feel.

While suitable for all areas of the home, these combinations are an especially good choice for bathrooms, kitchens and family living spaces.